Energy Efficient Renovations of Storm Damaged Residences - Florida Case Studies

Storm-damaged homes offer the opportunity for repairs that reduce energy use, improve comfort and enhance resistance to future storms. Case studies of four Florida homes damaged in the summer of 2004 were documented to show the costs and benefits of various retrofit strategies. All four homes required roof replacement and each took advantage of roof cladding with higher reflectance than the original, a proven means of reducing cooling energy use. Two of the case studies included improvements to attic insulation, tightening of the envelope and/or duct system and improved efficiency equipment and lighting. Energy savings attributable to storm repairs were estimated through detailed computer simulation and in one case savings were directly measured in a before/after fashion.Whole-home energy savings estimates derived by computer simulation ranged from a high 27%, in the home requiring the greatest amount of renovation, to a low of 1% in the home with a light-colored shingle roof replacement. Cooling energy savings was also analyzed as it typically makes up the largest single subset of whole-home energy use in Central Florida. Cooling savings derived from the computer model ranged from 3% to 45% and, as in the case of whole home energy, was directly impacted by the level of home repair. Measured data obtained from one home showed a 19% reduction in cooling energy use after the dark shingle roof was replaced with white metal. This fell roughly in line with computer estimated cooling savings of 16%.